What role can Cannabis play in the life cycle of a woman?

At one time, it was simply assumed that Cannabis would mark the various stages of the life cycle in women.  Today, traditions must be re-examined in the light of modern medicine, experimentation, gathering scientific data – and most importantly, in safety considerations.

Cannabis and Menses
The tradition of using Cannabis for premenstrual syndromes and menstrual cramps are very good and healthy traditions.  The effect of Cannabis as a relaxant of smooth muscle is well known.  Smooth muscle is also known as the “involuntary” muscle.  It is not possible to voluntarily tell these muscles what to do.  For example, if I tell you to “relax your uterus” (or your upper intestines, for that matter) it is simply not so easy to do.  However, Cannabis can do it! Often women experience mood swings prior to menses (or at the beginning) and Cannabis seems to help with this too.

Cannabis and Pregnancy

I am frequently asked about the use of Cannabis during pregnancy.  Mothers are also interested in the effect of Cannabis while breastfeeding. There is a fair amount of proof that the psychologically active components of Cannabis can get through the placenta and through the breast milk.  What is less clear is what the tiny developing brain actually does when psychologically active Cannabis substances are delivered to it. I see women, whose gynecologists and obstetricians have recommended Cannabis during pregnancy, for morning sickness and other discomforts. However, there are other treatments for morning sickness that carry no biochemical risks.
We do know that the children of mothers who consume Cannabis during pregnancy seem to have lower birth weights.  This has shown up in lots of studies.  Children of lower birth weights are more likely to have all sorts of general health problems, like higher incidences of infection.
As a professional medical doctor – I usually only recommend Cannabis to people over the age of 18.  However, with considerable documentation I have been able to help a few suffering young folks with cancer and other serious life-threatening conditions.  In studies done in Jamaica and Costa Rica, there have been no specific findings of cognitive decline in Cannabis consumers.  Unfortunately, there is simply not enough data and/or scientific research to make any definitive statements about the effects of Cannabis on a developing fetus.  I believe in science as a way of finding the truth.  In looking at the effects of Cannabis on pregnancy – we are still looking for truth.
I just speak of science.  I do not and cannot stop women from making their own decisions. But I do recommend consuming Cannabis after pregnancy, when depressions are not uncommon, and mood swings can occur in those women who may be predisposed to bipolar illness.

Cannabis and Menopause

Sooner or later, the reproductive life of a woman ends.  Doctors who believe that a woman is going through the process of menopause will typically draw blood from the patient to determine if the hormones from the brain that cause the secretion of female hormones are over-secreting. Most women go through menopause at about the same age as their mothers – unless there was a surgical menopause (generally from a hysterectomy).  The average age that women experience menopause in the United States is at 50.8 years.
There is a long tradition of hormone replacement at menopause, which is often cited as a paternalistic push on the use of female hormones to extend the “attractiveness” and “youth” of women.  Unfortunately, replacement hormones have often been taken from the urine of an adult female horse or other equine.  They seem to have some associations with gynecological cancers.

For women that want/need hormone replacement therapy, I generally and often recommended them to doctors who deal in “bio-identical hormones.” A very low dosage of bio-identical hormones will typically achieve the type of symptom relief that patients are looking for – such as a reduction in hot flashes or night sweats.

There are only a few comparative studies researching hormones vs. Cannabis consumption during menopause.  It is seductive to think that consuming marijuana may help menopause symptoms without increasing the risk of cancer.  This certainly seems possible!
I conducted my own “mini-study” on this issue. I distinctly recall a few women who were consuming Cannabis through the expected age of menopause for unrelated reasons like pain from broken bones, back pain, and intestinal cancer.  I asked all three women what their menopause symptoms were like and whether or not they experienced hot flashes or night sweats, or any other such symptoms. Not one of these dear women remembered having any typical menopausal symptoms!  Some folks have said that some of the alkaloids in Cannabis are “phytoestrogens” – which are plant compounds that are a bit similar to estrogens.
A woman in pain or discomfort certainly deserves the right to a medical consultation to 1) see if Cannabis can help relieve her pain, and 2) assess the advantages and risks of Cannabis treatment in her particular case.